News Americas, MIAMI, FL, Tues. Aug. 25, 2015: Over 34 dozen Cuban migrants have been returned to their native land so far this year by the U.S. Coast Guard after they attempted to enter the United States illegally.
News Americas research of Coast Guard repatriation data show 412 Cuban migrants were returned between January and August, 2015 as relations between Cuba and the U.S. continue to thaw.
The latest batch sent back was on August 20th when sixty-five Cuban migrants aboard the Coast Guard Cutters William Trump and Raymond Evans were repatriated to Bahia de Cabañas, Cuba.
“The Coast Guard continues to strongly discourage attempts to illegally enter the country by taking to the sea,” said Capt. Mark Fedor, Coast Guard 7th District Chief of Response. “These trips are extremely dangerous and could lead to loss of life. Once aboard a Coast Guard cutter, we will seek to quickly repatriate illegal migrants to their respective countries.”
Earlier this month as well, crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Raymond Evans repatriated 36 Cuban migrants from four separate migrant interdictions at sea in a span of a week, beginning Aug. 1.
Cuban migrant consistently try to illegally enter the United States on unseaworthy vessels commonly called “rustics” or “chugs.”
Reports indicate that many Cubans are try to enter the US as President Obama and Cuban President Raúl Castro move to end more than a half-century of estranged relations. The new wave of rafters fear that the preferential immigration status for Cubans – the controversial wet foot, dry foot policy – will soon end. The policy allows Cubans who evade the Coast Guard and touch U.S. soil to get green cards after one year, sponsor their relatives back home to join them and eventually become U.S. citizens.
